Gates urges arms pact

Defense chief joins effort for START approval

by David S. Cloud - Nov. 21, 2010 12:00 AMTribune Washington Bureau

SANTIAGO, Chile - Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Saturday rejected claims by Senate Republicans that the new START arms-reduction treaty with Russia would hamper U.S. missile-defense programs and nuclear-weapons modernization, warning of "significant consequences" if the Senate doesn't ratify the accord.

He said that Russia could also respond to a failure to approve the treaty by scaling back its assistance for the war in Afghanistan. Russia has allowed the U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization to ship supplies through its territory to Afghanistan, including a recent decision to permit transport of so-called mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, the heavily armored troop carriers used to guard against hidden bombs.

"Despite what anybody says, I, as secretary of Defense, and the entire uniformed leadership of the American military believe that this treaty is in our national-security interest," Gates said, taking on claims that some in the military privately oppose the accord.

His comments to reporters after meeting with officials in Chile were part of a lobbying blitz by senior Obama administration officials to persuade the Senate to ratify the treaty, which restricts each nation to a maximum of 1,550 deployed long-distance warheads, before the end of the year. President Barack Obama also devoted his weekend radio address to the treaty.

Some Senate Republicans have signaled that they plan to oppose ratification this year, citing concerns that the measure will hamstring efforts to put in place new systems to defend against missile attacks and put limits on updating the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

But Gates said that nothing in the treaty would interfere with missile-defense programs.